I agree mass transit is missing in MI, but I don't think taxing people to the point that they can't afford to pay for their car and fuel, and therefor are forced to use mass transit is the way to get the job done.

LANSING -- An ambitious plan to raise the gas tax and the cost of car registration fees to pay for better roads has political big hitters behind it.

They hope to topple potent resistance in the Capitol that confronts any notion of putting more money in the government's hands.

That resistance stands in the way of a powerful coalition that unveiled the road funding plan at the Capitol on Thursday. The same group tried vainly to push a similar plan through the lame-duck Legislature last fall.

The coalition includes the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, which generally leads Lansing's stalwart opponents to higher taxes.

Chamber President Rich Studley said better roads and mass transit will bring business to the state.

"This is really about job creation and promoting business conditions that are favorable to Michigan," Studley said.

The coalition says the changes would produce $1.8 billion more in revenue for road repairs by 2014. This year, the state is to take in nearly $2 billion from the gas tax and vehicle registrations.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm supports the plan. So does Rep. Pam Byrnes, D-Chelsea, chair of the House Transportation Committee, which began hearings on the plan Thursday.

But Sen. Jud Gilbert, R-Algonac, has doubts. Gilbert, chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, said he'd prefer raising the current per-gallon gas tax a few pennies.

"I'm not saying we don't need more revenue, we do," Gilbert said.

The coalition plan also would double annual registration fees for most light cars and trucks over five years. But owners of older, less expensive cars would get a 10% break.

The proposal

# Replace the state's flat 19-cents-per-gallon gas tax with a percentage tax on the wholesale price of gas, phased in over five years.

# Cap new tax at the pump to 34 cents per gallon -- 15 cents more than the current tax.

we are taxed on gas now for the roads and they waste that money. double the registration fees? I would pay close to $700 for all my vehicles to register in a year.
fuck granholm. fuck this state.

why don't they cut the government payroll?

here's a fucking idea bitch, take all those getting check from the fucking state and put them to work fixing the roads since we are already paying them.

i am soooooooooo sick of these fukc nuts always trying to fix shit by just adding another tax.

they are getting 19¢ per gallon now at 4.9 billion gallons sold in this state equates to $931,000,000 a year not including the state sales tax we are paying on that same gas at 6%
PLUS vehicle registration fees that are supposed to assist in road repair.

the problem is political terrorism and corruption, not a lack of taxes

granholm said that there was no money to fix roads. where did it go? while all the road projects were halted the state still collected that road money on our gas purchases.

we are taxed on gas now for the roads and they waste that money. double the registration fees? I would pay close to $700 for all my vehicles to register in a year.
fuck granholm. fuck this state.

why don't they cut the government payroll?

here's a fucking idea bitch, take all those getting check from the fucking state and put them to work fixing the roads since we are already paying them.

i am soooooooooo sick of these fukc nuts always trying to fix shit by just adding another tax.

they are getting 19¢ per gallon now at 4.9 billion gallons sold in this state equates to $931,000,000 a year not including the state sales tax we are paying on that same gas at 6%
PLUS vehicle registration fees that are supposed to assist in road repair.

the problem is political terrorism and corruption, not a lack of taxes

granholm said that there was no money to fix roads. where did it go? while all the road projects were halted the state still collected that road money on our gas purchases.

at that rate guess if i build the 3 yj's i should use 1 vin and swap vin plate from jeep to jeep screw the gov. they get enough now just need to be smarter on how they spend it. then they wonder why people do things illeagally and so many are leaving MI.

at that rate guess if i build the 3 yj's i should use 1 vin and swap vin plate from jeep to jeep screw the gov. they get enough now just need to be smarter on how they spend it. then they wonder why people do things illeagally and so many are leaving MI.